Cover Story: James Jirayu is The Boy With The Pearl Bling

Well known for his princely roles in Thai serial dramas — with good looks to match — James Jirayu is a household name with a decade’s worth of acting and music credentials. This year, he started rising in prominence in the fashion and luxury scenes, his regal composure a fine match for exalted brands like Mikimoto. “I would say their pearls are timeless,” explains Jirayu, as he is adorned with those precious beads for our cover shoot. Impossibly youthful and full of boyish charm, we’re reminded that he just turned 31 a couple of days ago, and we’re once again in awe of all he has accomplished.

Happy Birthday James! What does turning 31 feel like, and how did you celebrate?

I cannot believe I’m 31 years old already! Time passes by so quickly. I didn’t really have a celebration, just a regular day at home with a simple meal, nothing too crazy.

How do you think your 30s will be different from your 20s?

I started out in entertainment during my early 20s, so naturally that’s when I wanted to explore and have fun. Everything was new and exciting to me, and I was given plenty of opportunities to try things out. Now, having just entered my 30s last year, the excitement has lessened as I’ve already experienced so much in the past decade. Instead, there’s a shift towards introspection. I’ll try to explain in another way: in my 20s, I learned from the outside world, and in my 30s, I’m learning from my inner self, through discipline and rules that I’ve set for myself.

What have you been busy with recently?

I’m filming a period drama called Chao Khun Phi Kap I Nang Kham Duang, which is a romantic comedy for Channel 3. So cute!

Do you get some free time too? What do you like to do when you’re not working?

When I’m not working, I usually do housework or a bit of gardening. While these are activities I do in my so-called “free time”, I don’t consider it as such. Free time to me is when I get to do nothing at all, and that I don’t really get much of.

You attended the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. That must’ve been exciting!

This was my first time attending the Olympic Games, so I was super impressed! I got to see the finals of basketball, volleyball, table tennis and diving, which was amazing. The closing ceremony, too, was great. The most enjoyable part was getting to experience the beautiful city of Paris during the event.

Do you have any favourite sports from the Games?

Besides those that I mentioned earlier, I really enjoy watching soccer a lot. But what surprised me the most has to be diving; there are actually a lot of details that I never considered. I’m happy that I got the chance to discover and learn more about the sport.

We see that you are into fitness and running as well.

I picked up running sometime during 2015 or 2016, after participating in a running event. It was good exercise that I enjoyed, so I started doing it consistently. Actually, I’m not good at sports like basketball or soccer because I don’t really have the skills; running, on the other hand, is straightforward, although there are a lot of techniques involved as well in terms of posture and breath control and all that. You also need discipline — to sleep early, for example, if you want to go for morning runs. As for fitness, it was my goal since young to have a six pack. And now that I’m in my 30s, I decided that I finally wanted to have a nice body and started to achieve that with weight training. Besides, I often get requests to take my clothes off for the shows that I do, so it just makes sense.

Fun fact: you’re named after James Bond.

My parents named me “James” because they really liked James Bond and his movies were extremely popular at the time. They even tried to make me look [half-Caucasian], when I’m actually pure Thai Chinese! They just wanted to make themselves feel happy. [Laughs] It’s just as well that I love James Bond too!

You’ve been acting for just over a decade now. Do you remember how you first got into acting?

I was scouted by [Thai entertainment agency owner Pik Charnchalard] for Suphapburut Juthathep (“Gentlemen of Juthathep”). That first drama series made me super well-known after it aired.

Today, you’re one of the biggest stars in Thailand. How does that make you feel?

I’m grateful to have the chance and opportunity to work in the industry. This job has allowed me to learn a lot and meet many different kinds of people that I don’t think I’d otherwise have in my normal life. I may not be an expert in a lot of things, but I still’ve got to learn and understand them in order to be a good actor. Say, for example, horse-riding. I don’t have to be an expert, but I need the basics to make it look believable. Most of all, I’m proud of the fact that I have a lot of people who love and support me. That’s what I’m most grateful for in my life.

Do you still have an overall goal you’re working towards in your career, or are you happy just working on projects as they come?

I just want to be an entertainer. Whether through my work or in my real life, I just want to make people happy. That’s what I’m focusing on right now.

These days, you’re also a regular at fashion and luxury events. What is your relationship with fashion and style?

I feel so honoured to be invited to these events. When it comes to fashion, I see it as a form of art and expression. It’s interesting to see how people incorporate the unique identity and DNA of brands into their own personal style. That’s quite fun.

Ever since you started working with Mikimoto, what has been your favourite way of wearing pearls?

Having worked with Mikimoto a lot, I would say their pearls are timeless. For me, personally, I don’t like to wear too many items. I like to keep it simple, just T-shirt and pants. Also, since I stay in Thailand where the weather is always hot, I just want to keep the styling casual without too many layers. And when I dress so simply, a single Mikimoto bangle, bracelet or even necklace instantly elevates and completes the look.

Do you have any current obsessions?

There are two things I’ve been obsessed with recently. First, I really enjoy coffee — I even have a special machine just to make espressos at home. Second, I’m really into trees: how to plant them, how to grow them, and all that. As long as it involves trees, I’ll be interested.

Finally, what are your plans for the rest of the year?

There’s the new drama series on Channel 3 that I mentioned earlier, that’s coming up soon. I also want to be more active on social media, because I received feedback from a lot of my fan clubs that I should do more. So be sure to follow me on @jirayu_jj for more updates. Thank you!